Egyptian journalist Mohamed Ashraf Abu Emeira, who works for investigative media outlet Matsadaash, was among six journalists from the platform arrested between Monday, September 28, and Tuesday, September 29, 2026.
The arrest campaign began with security forces raiding the homes of Abu Emeira and Abdallah Qadry, who were taken into custody Monday evening and early Tuesday morning. By the end of Tuesday, security forces had also detained Islam Barakat and Omar Helal at their homes in Gharbiya and Port Said, respectively, while two more journalists, Mohamed Mahmoud and Mohamed Adel, were arrested on the streets of Cairo.
On October 1, Egypt's Interior Ministry accused Matsadaash of seeking to destabilize the country through disinformation, describing it as an unlicensed, foreign-run page spreading false content. The statement also linked the platform and its founder, Abdelrahman Mansour, to the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt designated a terrorist organization in 2013.
Mansour rejected the accusation in comments to the independent Cairo-based outlet Mada Masr, saying authorities are well aware Matsadaash has no ties to the Brotherhood and operates as a professional journalism platform. He noted that one of the outlet's journalists had previously been summoned for questioning in 2023 and was released shortly after.
In 2023, Matsadaash journalist Karim Asaad was arrested. He was later released, but the outlet has come under smear campaigns intended to silence its journalism work.
CPJ emailed Egypt's Public Prosecutor's Office for comment but did not receive an immediate response.